The network commonly known as the Internet, or any similar private or managed network, provides a convenient medium for the delivery of electronic data or content such as music, video, games, broadband data, real-time audio and voice applications, and software to subscribers. To accomplish these purposes, the Internet is composed of several components including, for example, content providers for generating content; service providers for delivering content; subscriber terminals for receiving, displaying and playing content; and various additional network elements between service providers and subscribers for aiding in the distribution of the content. Service providers include, for example, telephone line carriers, enterprise data centers, and cable television providers. Subscriber terminals are located at subscriber premises and include, for example, personal computers, televisions configured with modems, a combination of both, or any other combination of consumer electronics capable of presenting electronic content to a subscriber.
Interest in providing delivery of content via the Internet has remained high throughout the growth of the Internet. Several problems have yet to be overcome, however, before the Internet is fully effective at delivering content efficiently and rapidly, while also protecting the rights of the owners of content, that is, the owners of intellectual property. Techniques for protecting this intellectual property are often referred to as Digital Rights Management (DRM). Recent music industry lawsuits over the distribution of pirated music are evidence of the difficulties not yet solved by current DRM techniques.
Service providers and content providers need the assurance that the intellectual property (music, video, games, software, etc.) will be secure from illegal downloading and transmission over the Internet, a major source of lost revenues and the basis for hundreds of lawsuits. Service providers want this feature to halt the legal onslaught launched by music companies and to encourage the motion picture industry to license their content for distribution over the otherwise unsecured Internet. The motion picture industry is understandably reluctant, having seen the negative impact that piracy has already had on the Music Recording Industry. Content providers thus demand this feature to stop the illegal downloading and transmission of intellectual property over the Internet which has cost the music and movie industries billions of dollars annually. Techniques that reduce the strain on a content provider's resources and reduce the high volumes of network data traffic are also desirable in order to improve the speed and efficiency of accessing content in a network.
Another difficult problem that remains to be solved is providing a means for law enforcement agencies to execute warrants to wire-tap Internet communications such as email and real-time audio and video communications. A solution to this problem is especially desirable considering the importance of thwarting terrorist attacks. The Patriot Act and other recently passed legislation indicate the desirability and importance of providing such capabilities to law enforcement bodies.
It is therefore desirable to provide new access regulation and data traffic control techniques that can be made available to telephone line carriers, ISPs, enterprises, cable television companies, for their Internet access networks. In addition, it is desirable to provide a means for law enforcement bodies to combat the prevalent use of Internet communications in planning illegal operations. In particular, it is desirable to meet these needs using the service provider's existing distribution network.